Royal Holloway's Independent Student Newspaper

RHUL Bears saves an acre of rainforest

There is a growing concern over our impact on the natural world and we are regularly being told to do our bit to combat global warming and protect the environment. Conventionally the advice is to turn down the heating, recycle your paper and use less petrol. RHUL BEARS has done something a little different. They have provided the funds to save an acre of rainforest – that’s 44,000 square feet of Ecuadorian jungle, known to be home to the jaguar, the sloth and the ocelot. They did this by making a donation to the Royal Holloway Rainforest Project, the campaign to save an area of rainforest the size of the university campus.

We have now raised £2700, enough for 54 of the 135 acres we intend to save. When we have raised our target – £6750 – there will be an actual patch of rainforest that Royal Holloway will have saved in Ecuador – a truly unique legacy for this university.

You can help make a visible impact on conservation by organising a collection, or making an individual donation, to the Rainforest Project. Just £50 will provide the funds to save a whole acre of rainforest and we will display your name on our grid representing the 135-acre campus as well as sending you a personalised certificate. Earlier on in the year the Wentworth Club, a prestigious Surrey golf club that offers yearly golf bursaries to RHUL students, bought 4 acres. Richard Caring, owner of the Wentworth Club and ESPIRIT stores, has bought his own acre. The Department of Economics, RHUL Switchboard Team and last year’s Sabbatical Officers have also clubbed together to buy their own patch of the Project.

Our website: www.royalhollowayrainforest.com has more information on the Project and ways to donate. 80% of Ecuador’s rainforest has been destroyed during the last century, mostly due to deforestation. Your donation will go directly into saving the critical remaining habitat. Buy your patch today!